This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

36377

Vol. 63, No. 128

Monday, July 6, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1755

RIN 0572–AB41

Special Equipment Specifications

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Advanced notice of proposed

rulemaking.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) is proposing to amend its

regulation on RUS Telecommunications

Standards and Specifications for

Materials, Equipment and Construction

to add to RUS Form 397, Special

Equipment Contract (including

installation). This action will amend the

Special Equipment Specifications which

include RUS Form 397b, Trunk Carrier

System Specifications; RUS Form 397c,

Subscriber Carrier Specifications; RUS

Form 397d, Design Specifications for

Point-to-Point Microwave Radio

Systems; RUS Form 397e, Design

Specifications for Mobile and Fixed Dial

Radio Telephone Equipment; RUS Form

397g, Performance Specifications for

Line Concentrators; and RUS Form

397h, Design Specifications for Digital

Lightwave Transmission Systems.

Changes to the Special Equipment

Specifications will incorporate the latest

technology, remove redundant or

outdated requirements, and simplify

specification format.

DATES: Written comments must be

received by RUS, or bear a postmark or

equivalent, no later than September 4,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

mailed to Gary B. Allan, Chief,

Transmission Branch,

Telecommunications Standards

Division, Rural Utilities Service, STOP

1598, United States Department of

Agriculture, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20250–

1598. RUS requests an original and

three copies of all comments (7 CFR part

1700.4). All comments received will be

available for public inspection at room

2838 South Building (above address)

during regular business hours (7 CFR

1.27 (b)).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melanie L. Umstead, Transmission

Branch, Telecommunications Standards

Division, Rural Utilities Service, STOP

1598, United States Department of

Agriculture, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20250–

1598, telephone number (202) 720–

0665, fax (202) 720–4099, e-mail

mumstead@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

RUS is considering replacing RUS

Form 397b, Trunk Carrier System

Specifications; RUS Form 397c,

Subscriber Carrier Specifications; RUS

Form 397d, Design Specifications for

Point-to-Point Microwave Radio

Systems; RUS Form 397e, Design

Specifications for Mobile and Fixed Dial

Radio Telephone Equipment; RUS Form

397g, Performance Specifications for

Line Concentrators; and RUS Form

397h, Design Specifications for Digital

Lightwave Transmission Systems with

two (2) specifications.

One specification will address

wireline systems and the other will

address wireless systems. The wireline

systems specification will address

lightwave systems, digital and analog

carrier systems, concentrators and

related wireline technologies. The

wireless systems specifications will

address microwave radio systems,

wireless local loop systems and other

wireless technologies. These

specifications will address the latest

advances in telecommunications

systems and recognize new

technologies. The specifications will

also recognize established industry

standards by removing outdated

requirements and incorporating new

relevant requirements. RUS is

requesting comments from RUS

borrowers, consulting engineers,

manufacturers and any other interested

bodies on recommended changes for

special equipment specifications to

ensure rural telecommunications

networks continue to provide reliable

and progressive telecommunications

services without an undue burden to the

parties involved.

Dated: June 24, 1998.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 98–17747 Filed 7–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 94–SW–23–AD]

Airworthiness Directives; Bell

Helicopter Textron, Inc. Model 214B

and 214B–1 Helicopters

ACTION: Supplemental notice of

proposed rulemaking (SNPRM);

reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY: This document revises an

earlier proposed airworthiness directive

(AD), applicable to Bell Helicopter

Textron, Inc. (BHTI) Model 214B and

214B–1 helicopters, that would have

established a mandatory retirement life

of 15,000 high-power events for the

pillow block bearing bolts (bearing

bolts). That proposal was prompted by

fatigue analyses and tests that show

certain bearing bolts fail sooner than

originally anticipated because of the

unanticipated high number of lifts and

takeoffs (torque events) performed with

those bearing bolts in addition to the

time-in-service (TIS) accrued under

normal operating conditions. This

action revises the proposed rule by

proposing the creation of a component

history card using a Retirement Index

Number (RIN) system, establishment of

a system for tracking increases to the

accumulated RIN, and establishment of

a maximum accumulated RIN for the

bearing bolts. The actions specified by

this proposed AD are intended to

prevent fatigue failure of the bearing

bolts, which could result in failure of

the main rotor system and subsequent

loss of control of the helicopter.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before September 4, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Office of the

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 94–SW–23–

AD, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663,

Fort Worth, Texas 76137. Comments

may be inspected at this location